Remember when SEO shifted from being all about keywords to being all about intent? That was a game-changer. Suddenly, it wasn’t just “Can we rank?” but “What does the searcher actually want?” Are they looking for information? A product? A brand? A how-to?
At first, it was simple: informational or transactional. But over time, search intent became more nuanced and more interesting.
Optimising for Multiple Intents Is the New Baseline
Then came the real twist: multiple intents on the same SERP. You started seeing long-form guides sitting alongside local packs and service pages. Ranking wasn’t just about matching one intent anymore; it meant satisfying several.
For example, take the term “legal consultant”. You’d expect a strong bottom-of-funnel, conversion-ready vibe. A few years ago, the SERPs served up:
A local 3-pack
PPC ads
Root domains
Service pages
Fast forward to now, and suddenly long-form resource content is outranking some of those. Why? Because Google sees two overlapping intents:
People ready to hire a consultant.
People still figuring out why they might need one.
Meeting Search Intent With E-E-A-T
I’ve chosen the example of a legal consultant deliberately. This is exactly the kind of domain where professional advice isn't just helpful, it's essential. When the subject matter is highly technical or carries significant risk if mishandled, self-consultation simply isn’t an option. That’s when conversion becomes critical.
Enter the era of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust). In fields that require qualified professionals, businesses must now demonstrate their E-E-A-T clearly. That’s why SEOs working in fire safety, pharmaceuticals, and legal sectors began creating detailed author pages to showcase credibility, and rightly so.
You’re not just chasing clicks, you’re proving that you're qualified to give advice.
This highlights the importance of practising SEO that serves multiple search intents. In the world of E-E-A-T, SEO can’t rely on thin, low-value blog posts anymore, they've given SEO a bad name. Instead, businesses should invest in educational, digestible long-form resources that are optimised for both SEO and E-E-A-T.
So how do you cater to different intents while staying on the right side of E-E-A-T?
Create long-form, educational content that satisfies informational intent and showcases expertise.
Build landing pages designed to convert bottom-funnel users.
Bridge the gap with UX, like in-content banners or CTAs that guide readers from resource to conversion page.
The key is to serve both informational and transactional intents, and to ensure there's a clear path for users to move down the funnel.
Interchangeable Semantic Keywords
Sometimes, the same term can refer to different topics depending on context.
I recall a talk at BrightonSEO a few years ago that highlighted this using the example of the keyword “King Charles.” Some days, search results would display images of the dog breed. Then, when the Royal Family made headlines, the search intent shifted and SERPs began showing images, information, and news articles about the monarch instead.
Why? Because real-world events change how people search. And when that happens, the SERPs change too. If the king’s in the news, dog breeders might see a sudden drop in traffic.
It’s a reminder: SEO lives in the real world.
My Top Tips for Intent-Driven SEO
1. Use Internal Links to Understand and Influence Search Intent
Internal linking offers deep insight into user flow and intent. What is the user expected to do next?
Get More from Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a powerhouse, but I particularly love the visualisation feature as well as the internal linking features:
Force-Directed Crawl Diagram
This tool visually maps out a competitor’s URLs and how they interconnect, like a spider web for their entire site. It gives you a much clearer sense of the site’s size and internal linking structure, especially if you're a visual SEO like me. It just hits differently than scrolling through a long, flat list of thousands of URLs.
With this diagram, you can quickly spot things like:
Are unexpected content types linking to their top-ranking pages?
What kinds of pages or categories dominate their site?
Where is the majority of their internal linking equity flowing?
Are there any surprise URLs you didn’t anticipate?
Internal Link Placements
One thing I love is using Screaming Frog to uncover how competitors structure their internal linking, especially to pages that rank well. Internal linking from supporting articles and between category pages is not just good practice, it’s often key to reinforcing topical relevance and aligning with search intent.
Post-crawl, I search for the competitor’s ranking URL in Screaming Frog and head to the ‘Internal’ tab. This gives me a snapshot of how their internal link architecture supports that page. But I’m not just looking at quantity, I’m thinking strategy.
Here are the questions I ask:
How many links are in the header or navigation versus embedded in the main content?
Are they using image links or text links?
Which specific pages are linking to this ranking page, and what’s their intent?
What kind of anchor text are they using? Does it match the target query’s intent (informational, transactional, etc.)?
How does the number and quality of internal links to this page compare to others on the site?
Then, I take it a step further.
Sometimes I find links coming from pages that don’t make them obvious on the front end. In those cases, I inspect the source code (on Mac, that’s command + F) and search for the target URL. This helps me pinpoint where that link lives.
Is it in a product carousel, a tabbed section, or buried in a footer? Is it part of a deliberate attempt to align with navigational or transactional intent? Sometimes it even hints at black hat SEO tactics.
Either way, it adds valuable context. These internal links don’t just help with crawlability, they can directly influence how well a page aligns with search intent and satisfies Google’s understanding of topical relevance. It’s not just about links, it’s about purposeful placement that serves the user’s intent.
2. Manually Verify Intent Matches
I remember my early days in SEO, checking the SERPs and quickly labeling the intent as either transactional or informational. Years later, I’ve learned the value of actually looking at the content on top-performing pages.
Ask yourself:
What does the user want to do next?
Can they do that on the page you’re optimizing?
Can they buy the product, book the appointment, or watch the video without friction?
Are there any blockers? And if so, how can you fix them?
3. Combine Manual + Tool-Based Analysis
Internal links are easy to miss unless you get your magnifying glass out. Maybe even tweak your mouse’s scroll speed to take it slow. Combine a Screaming Frog crawl with a manual inspection; that’s where the real detective work begins.
Are those internal links buried near the end of a long-form article designed to educate?
Are product links awkwardly placed on a landing page pushing webinar signups?
Are related products linked correctly on a category page?
Understanding where links sit on the page, in the context of the content, can give you a clearer picture of the user’s next step, and by extension, their search intent.
If you just glance at a competitor’s page for a few seconds, you won’t see where the key links are. If you only rely on Screaming Frog, you could miss hundreds of strategic placements. Do both, and you’ll get a full, accurate picture of search intent and internal linking strategy.
4. Rank for a Few Things First
There’s always pressure to go big, rank for everything, everywhere. But realistically, that can become noise. Instead:
Focus on a select few high-intent terms.
Ask the business: “What’s most profitable and easiest to deliver?”
Identify the top 5 services or categories.
Use GSC and keyword tools to map your short-term game plan.
Keyword choice isn’t just strategic, it’s reputational. Bad keyword targeting gives SEO a bad name, just like thin blogs do.
And remember: solid keyword mapping means nothing if your site’s technical SEO is a mess. Fix the foundations first.
TL;DR: Align Content With Intent, Back It With Strategy
SEO today is about aligning with real user intent, building trust with E-E-A-T, and creating content that moves people down the funnel.
Use tools like Screaming Frog, think critically about SERPs, and don’t try to boil the ocean. Nail a few key terms first. Then scale with confidence.
SEO isn’t about chasing your tail. It’s about purposeful, intent-driven content that actually helps people and gets results.
Article by
Katie McDonald
Katie McDonald, Senior SEO at Sherbz, owner of lifeofamissfit.com, and 2-time half marathoner. She creates SEO content, mentors creatives, and features on top industry podcasts and reports.
stay in the loop